1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool replacement apparatus for a machine tool, which includes a turning tool magazine holding a plurality of tools.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a tool replacement apparatus including a turning tool magazine, a plurality of tool gripping parts (tool pots) are provided on a circumferential surface of the tool magazine, and it is designed such that a tool is held by each of the tool gripping parts, a position where a tool is to be housed is indexed by turning the tool magazine, and a tool can be attached to, and be removed from, a spindle of a machine tool.
For take-out of a tool from a tool magazine or a like operation, various ways to prevent a tool being taken out from interfering with another member are developed (refer to JP 05-228767 A and JP 2013-205975 A).
Also, JP 8-118181 A discloses a tool replacement apparatus in which a tool magazine is tilted with respect to an axis of a spindle, to thereby minimize occurrence of interference between a tool housed in the tool magazine and another member while the tool magazine is turning.
A tool magazine, in which various tools are to be housed, turns in indexing a tool, and so, there is a danger if a housed tool interferes with another member while the tool magazine is turning. Thus, it is necessary to prevent a housed tool from interfering with other members such as a component of a machine tool and a jig while a tool magazine is turning. In a conventional tool replacement apparatus, there is imposed limitation to a length and a shape of a tool which is to be housed in a tool magazine so that interference with another member cannot be caused in any phase in 360 degrees while the tool magazine is turning.
However, it is undesirable to impose limitation to a tool which can be housed in a tool magazine because also a processing function of a machine tool is limited.